Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[Bulldogma]

Oz,
Okay, growing tomatoes upside down is a pipe dream. Simple logic would indicate the impossibility of the design as plants always grow towards the sunlight. Upside down planters are an exercise in futility. I've never seen it successfully done, except on television of course. (upside down planters are my pet peeve)

Grow tomatoes traditionally and sooner or later you will find the variety that works well in your climate.

Lucas

When I was just getting into gardening, I actually had a successful experience with 3 upside down tomato plants. The plant will basically grow in a "U" shape, but when the tomatoes get larger, the weight will pull them down a bit. That said, they did not have the yields of my in-ground tomato plants, but I can't complain. Cherry or grape tomatoes do best in this kind of setting as the fruit isn't so large as to pull the roots right out of the planter.

You have to start the plants right-side-up and wait until they are a few inches tall. Then you poke them through the hole in the bottom of a hanging planter. The hole needs to be at least the circumfrence one would expect the stalk of the adult plant to be. (I used coffee filters to prevent the baby plants from slipping all the way through and to keep the dirt in. Then fill with dirt and water daily so that the water runs out the bottom of the planter.

Not too hard... but not practical if you have ground space where they could be planted instead.

 

[Bens-Hens]

I concur with your logic.

My father is a total green thumb and He swears by it lol but could grow bananas in Maine in febuary.

I am researching varieties that grow in the tropics. As I have said, I can grow local tomatoes but I want one-slice-to-a-sandwich-drip-on-your-shirt-with-the-seed-on your-button type tomatoes.

Analou is up to the challenge. I just have to get the right varieties

I have had some success with Cherry tommies, and we have a Beefsteak tommie (one-slice-to-a-sandwich-drip-on-your-shirt-with-the-seed-on your-button type)
that grows well but has been miserable fruiting. **** thing puts all it's energy into one tomato per season and some bug normally attacks it before it's ready to eat. I am on the hunt for a new variety myself.

I have a friend who grows his in a aquaculture farm, along with perch or trout (season pending) and his are the size of a mans fist! Stick with them for a season or so, and maybe try a few varieties that get different amounts of light and see where that takes you on your one slice journey.

I just have to pop back in and say to all of you how much I love reading your posts. My husband and I own a tax and accounting business, so at this time of year we are insanely busy. I don't even get to see my chickens except for a few minutes on Sundays...but I carve out a few minutes each day to catch up on this thread and Bens-Hens. It's a great mental break and always leaves me smiling or chuckling! Carry on Oz and all you others...and thanks for the respite

Yay! I have a 'moaning chicken' video to upload from my phone to share, won't get a chance to do that until tomorrow night though.

 

[Tomtommom]

Oz, I don't know if you're on Facebook, but there's a page on vegetable gardening: https://www.facebook.com/VeggieGardening

There are members posting images of lush tomatoes from all over the world. The most recent post was from Indonesia. It may be worth looking into. I think they grew a 'thai pink tomato'.

 

[Tomtommom]

I actually do keep myself busy *somewhat* with the prepper stuff. At this point it's just learning and reading, no actual prepping. We hope to get a storm shelter within the next 1-2 years. My husband's hometown got hit by a devastating tornado twice in his lifetime... so that's a reality.

I am also convinced **** will hit the fan at some point, which is more likely to affect the US that the philippines I would imagine. Three flakes of snow and Alabama comes to a grinding halt. I can only imagine what a financial crisis would do to these folks

People in the Philippines would probably be okay for much longer, since they're used to being resourceful. Here, if Starbucks closes for a week, the world would end...

That said, I just wonder about funny things. Like.. you know how everyone uses baking soda for all their homestead-ey prepper cleaning and cooking. Where would they get baking soda from once the stores are closed? I don't think ANYONE has a 50 lb bag of baking soda in their basement. Just one of my random thoughts.

 

[Bulldogma]

That said, I just wonder about funny things. Like.. you know how everyone uses baking soda for all their homestead-ey prepper cleaning and cooking. Where would they get baking soda from once the stores are closed? I don't think ANYONE has a 50 lb bag of baking soda in their basement. Just one of my random thoughts.

LOL! Great point!

 

[scottcaddy]

I actually do keep myself busy *somewhat* with the prepper stuff. At this point it's just learning and reading, no actual prepping. We hope to get a storm shelter within the next 1-2 years. My husband's hometown got hit by a devastating tornado twice in his lifetime... so that's a reality.

I am also convinced **** will hit the fan at some point, which is more likely to affect the US that the philippines I would imagine. Three flakes of snow and Alabama comes to a grinding halt. I can only imagine what a financial crisis would do to these folks

People in the Philippines would probably be okay for much longer, since they're used to being resourceful. Here, if Starbucks closes for a week, the world would end...

That said, I just wonder about funny things. Like.. you know how everyone uses baking soda for all their homestead-ey prepper cleaning and cooking. Where would they get baking soda from once the stores are closed? I don't think ANYONE has a 50 lb bag of baking soda in their basement. Just one of my random thoughts.

A Baker just might

Scott

 

[Tomtommom]

That said, Irish soda bread is ancient. Supposedly there ARE natural sources. Guess seawater or something? It would be interesting to know how they acquired it in 'ye olden days'... seems like it would be a valuable bargaining chip should it come to it. Same for salt. Salt was very valuable in the middle ages... still is in the desert. There are families that make salt pillars for a living. Without salt in the desert, you die.

 

[Sweetpea3829]

My husband would TOTALLY be a prepper if I let him. He's a wannabe prepper, lol.

He wants me to buy MREs and 100lb bags of beans and rice, etc.

Back when the financial collapse happened, he was listening to a bit too much talk radio and he came home one day and told me we should buy gold bars just in case the banks collapsed and we couldn't get our money out. I was like...What do you think gold bars will do for us? Do you think I can go to the Stop and Shop and say, "I'd like to buy this loaf of bread with my gold doubloon..."

I take a more realistic approach to these kinds of things. Its important to be prepared for catastrophes, but to do so with an understanding of the probability of different catastrophes occurring in your area.

For example, here in upstate NY, I'm not going to take steps to prepare for a volcano.

Hubby wants to build a bomb shelter...I see very very little reason to do so. Tornadoes are not a high risk here. Hurricanes, by the time they come this far inland, are significantly weakened. And the biggest threat out here...snowfall...isn't something that we would need a bomb shelter for.

Hubby wants us to have a huge generator for extended power outages. In the three years since we've lived here, we've lost power once and it was for just a few minutes. We didn't even lose power during Hurricane Sandy, which otherwise gave us a good wallop.

Losing power in the summer isn't an issue for us...and losing power in the winter isn't an issue as we have a gigantic woodstove and could always put food outdoors. Loss of water would be the biggest issue, as our pump is driven by electricity, but I think we'd be ok.

Anyways, there is absolutely no way that I will buy MREs, lol! I love my husband, and I love that he wants to protect us and prepare for us...but he's nuts if he thinks I'm going to stockpile MREs.

 

[ocap]

prepping? more fun to think about winning the lottery...winter clothing and sleeping bags are in the basement but I refuse to buy a generator.

 

[Bulldogma]

We would like to become more self sufficient and less dependent on the electric company and grocery store.

And if you do go the prepping rout, think of the things that will have the most value if something major, like an asteroid strike, caused world-wide havoc. The things with the most value will be those things that meet basic needs. Food, shelter, fresh water, etc. If you can't grow it, eat it, drink it, breathe it or live in it, it won't have any value in an end-of-the-world scenario.

A gold bar might work as a good door-stop, though.